What Gary Neville said about Salford City upon Class of 92 purchase as he joins David Beckham in Ammies takeover | OneFootball

Gary Neville and David Beckham have completed a takeover of Salford City, so FLW takes a look back at what Neville said about the club in 2014.

David Beckham and Gary Neville have completed a full takeover of Salford City following the end of the 2024/25 season.

The League Two club narrowly missed out on the play-off places, finishing eighth in the table and just one point outside the top seven.

The former England internationals have previously been part owners of the club since March 2014, along with other members of the group known as the Class of 92, such as Paul Scholes, Phil Neville and Nicky Butt.

However, Neville and Beckham have now completed a takeover of Salford that will involve the injection of fresh investment, with those other names relinquishing their shares in the fourth tier side.

Football League World looks back at what Neville said about their plans for the club when they initially purchased shares over a decade ago…

What Gary Neville said about Salford City upon 2014 Class of 92 purchase

Neville opened up on how important the area of Salford means to him, having earned his first trial with Manchester United there when he was only 11-years-old.

He outlined how the club is a representation of the early stages of his career, expressing his excitement with his move to try and bring the team forward.

"I had my first trial for Manchester United in Salford at age 11, and I will never forget how important that was to me," said Neville via The Guardian at the time.

"Salford City FC to me represents those early years, the commitment, hunger, enthusiasm, desire and spirit of football, and I am very excited about this venture."

Salford were competing in the seventh tier of English football when the Class of 92 joined as investors, which was the Evo-Stik League Division One North as it was known at the time (now simply known as the Northern Premier League).

They are now in the fourth division, and will have their sights set on earning a place in League One in the near future under this new ownership structure.

Salford City’s rise under the Class of 92

Salford gained promotion back into the EFL in 2019 when they finished third in the National League table with 85 points.

The Ammies won the play-off final that year, beating AFC Fylde to book their place in League Two at the first attempt, having also gained promotion in 2018 from the National League North.

The club finished 11th in the table in their first campaign in the fourth division, with the Covid-19 pandemic curtailing the term after just 37 fixtures.

The 2020-21 season saw Salford go from strength to strength, with the side finishing just outside the play-off places with an eighth-placed result, two points behind Tranmere Rovers.

Salford did reach the play-offs in 2023, coming seventh in the table, but were unable to earn promotion after losing on penalties to Stockport County after extra time in the semi-final stages.

Karl Robinson is currently in charge of the first-team squad, and the new investors will be hoping that he can guide the club to League One next season.

It has been reported that Declan Kelly has joined the ownership structure at Salford, who is a founder of an advisory firm known as Consello, based in the United States, with Lord Mervyn Davies, the chairman of the Lawn Tennis Association, also coming on board.